SONGS:
-- Riu Riu Chiu ("Nightingale's Sounds") --
(cover version)

Found on:

Christmas (1993)
Lyrics:

Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera

El lobo rabioso
La quiso morder
Mas Dios poderoso
La supo defender
Quizole hazer que
No pudiesse pecar
Ni aun original
Esta uirgen no tuuiera

Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera

Este uiene a dar
A los muertos uida
Y uiene a reparar
De todas la cayla
Es la luz del dia
Aqueste mocuelo
Este es el cordero
Que San Juan dixera

Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera

Yo ui mil garcones
Que andauan contando
Por aqui bolando
Haziendo mil sones
Diziendo a gascones,
Gloria sea en el cielo
Y paz en el suelo
Pues Jesus nasciera

Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera

Este uiene a dar
A los muertos uida
Y uiene a reparar
De todas la cayla
Es la luz del dia
Aqueste mocuelo.
Este es el cordero
Que San Juan dixera.

Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera

Yo ui mil garcones
Que andauan contando
Por aqui bolando
Haziendo mil sones
Diziendo a gascones
Gloria sea en el cielo
Y paz en el suelo
Pues Jesus nasciera

Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera


TRANSLATION:

Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf from our lamb

The rabid wolf tried to bite her
But God Almighty knew how to defend her
He wished to create her impervious to sin
Nor was this maid to embody original sin
Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf from our lamb

He comes to give life to the dead
He comes to redeem the fall of man
This child is the light of day
He is the very lamb Saint John prophecied

Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf from our lamb

A thousand singing herons
I saw passing,
Flying overhead, sounding
A thousand voices
Exulting, "Glory be in the
heavens, and peace on earth,
for Jesus has been born."

Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf from our lamb

He comes to give life to the dead
He comes to redeem the fall of man
This child is the light of day
He is the very lamb Saint John
prophesied

Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf from our lamb

A thousand singing herons
I saw passing
Flying overhead, sounding
a thousand voices
Exulting, "Glory be in the
heavens, and peace on earth
for Jesus has been born."

Riu, riu, chiu (nightingale's sounds)
The river bank protects it,
As God kept the wolf from our lamb.



Known comments by Bruce Cockburn about this song, by date:

  • Album notes: "This is a Spanish composition of the type known as a 'villancico', dating from the sixteenth century. The language is archaic, some words being unfamiliar to my Hispanic friends and not found in at least the basic dictionaries. It concerns the shepherds in the biblical Christmas story and observes, among other things, the 'one born today is actually his mother's father and the one who created her is said to be her son.' I learned the song from an early '70s recording by New York Pro Musica."


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